George Harrison's widow wins razor wire planning battle

George Harrison's widow has won her planning battle to put up razor wire
around her home despite the concerns that it was causing injuries to the
neighbourhood cats.

Olivia HarrisonPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

2:29PM BST 25 Sep 2009

Rodney Bewes , the television comedy actor and star of The Likely Lads, had objected to Olivia Harrison's proposal to install a new barbed wire fence around her £20 million pounds mansion, citing a series of injuries to his pet cat Maurice.

Bewes and other neighbours of Friar Park, the sprawling mansion where George Harrison was once stabbed by an intruder, had tried to persuade their local council to refuse permission for the new razor-sharp fence.

Letters to the local authority likened the perimeter fence to a German prisoner of war camp.

However, now district council planners have given Mrs Harrison permission to top the fence with the sharp razor wire.

Despite losing the fight, civic leaders in Henley-on-Thames said they were hopeful they might still be able to get the imposing security scaled down by appealing directly to Mrs Harrison.